The death has taken place of Fr. Jack Shanahan who was the oldest member of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Ireland. Fr. Jack was born in 1911 in Castletownbere, Co. Cork, the eldest of two boys and three girls.

He received his primary education at Castletownbere National School and then travelled to Sacred Heart College, Western Road, Cork for his post primary education.  His home town is almost one hundred miles from Cork city.  As a young student at Sacred Heart College, Fr. Jack began his studies after a two-part journey from Castletownbere to Bantry by boat, and then by train to Cork city.   Mid-term breaks were not a feature of the educational system at that time.

That year the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart acquired Moyne Park in Co. Galway and established there the first Irish permanent House of Formation. Eight scholastics were recalled from Louvain and Bree to be the pioneers in that house, and Fr. Jack was one of them.  Two years later he was ordained priest in Tuam.

During an active life, Fr. Jack taught in the Scholasticate at Moyne Park and in the secondary school at Western Road, Cork.  While teaching at Western Road he was also editor of the MSC Annals – a religious magazine.

Parish Missions and Retreats to religious formed a major ministry for him and in the course of this work he visited all parts of Ireland and Britain.  After decades of service he retired to the MSC Community at Western Road, but remained very active in keeping abreast of developments in religious life and spirituality.

Selective in choosing reading material he was a source of great knowledge and information on good books and periodicals.  His willingness to share his wisdom was much appreciated.  He was also a fluent speaker of French and Irish.

Fr. Jack passed away peacefully, and after Mass in Sacred Heart Church he was buried in St. Oliver’s Cemetary, Cork. May he rest with the Sacred Heart.